1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image reproducing method for reproducing, as a visible image, image signals obtained from a color image on a reflective original such as a photograph, a print or the like or a transmission original such as a negative film, a reversal film or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently there has been developed a digital photographic printer in which image information recorded on a photographic film such as a negative film, a reversal film or the like or a print is photoelectrically read out and is converted into a digital image signal, the digital image signal is subjected to image processing and a photosensitive material such as photographic paper is scanned by a recording light beam modulated according to the processed image signal, thereby recording a visible image on the photosensitive material.
In the digital photographic printer, editing of an image such as a composition of a plurality of images into an image and division of an image, layout of a print image such as editing of characters and an image, and image processing such as adjustment of color and/or density, adjustment of scale, contour enhancement and the like can be freely carried out, and a print freely edited or processed according to its purpose can be output. Further in a conventional print by area exposure, it is impossible to reproduce the whole image density information carried by the film or the like due to limitation in the reproducible density range of a photosensitive material. However using a digital photographic printer, it is possible to reproduce the image density information carried by the film to almost 100%.
Such a digital photographic printer basically comprises a read-out means which reads out an image recorded on an original such as a photographic film, and an image recording means which carries out image processing on an image signal obtained in order to determine exposure conditions and the like which are used in recording a visible image, causes an exposure light beam to scan a photosensitive material according to the exposure conditions determined, develops the exposed photosensitive material and displays a visible image on a monitor.
In the read-out means, for instance, in the case of slit scanning, a line reading light is projected onto the film while the film is fed in a direction perpendicular to the line reading light (or the reading light and the photoelectric converter element are moved), thereby two-dimensionally scanning the film. The transmission light which is transmitted through the film and carries thereon image information is focused on the light receiving face of the photoelectric converter element such as a CCD line sensor and is converted into an electric image signal. The electric image signal carrying thereon data on the amount of light is amplified and converted to a digital image signal through an A/D conversion. Then the digital image signal is subjected to various image processings such as compensation for fluctuation in properties of the CCD element, density conversion, adjustment of scale and the like and transferred to the image recording means.
In the image recording means, the image signal is reproduced as a visible image on a display such as a CRT. The operator observes the reproduced visible image and, if necessary carries out a gradation correction, a color/density correction and the like (setting of setup conditions) on the reproduced image, and transfers the corrected image signal to a printer or a monitor as a recording image signal when the reproduced image becomes satisfactory as a finished print.
In the printer, in the case of a raster scan (light beam scanning) image recording system, three color light beams, e.g., red, green and blue light beams, corresponding to photosensitive layers for the three colors formed in the photosensitive material are modulated according to the recording image signals and the modulated light beams are deflected in a main scanning direction while the photosensitive material is fed in a direction substantially normal to the main scanning direction (sub-scanning), whereby the photosensitive material is two-dimensionally scanned by the modulated light beams and an image on the film is recorded on the photosensitive material as a visible image.
After exposure to the recording light beam, the photosensitive material is subjected to development processing according to the kind of the photosensitive material. For example, when the photosensitive material is a silver salt photosensitive material, color forming/development, bleaching/fixing, washing and drying are carried out in sequence and then finished prints are output.
Further there also has been put into practice a method in which an image on an original is read out at larger picture element intervals, thereby obtaining a rough image signal, the rough image signal is reproduced as a visible image on a CRT, image processing conditions such as tone of the final reproduced image are determined on the basis of the visible image displayed on the CRT, a fine image signal representing the image on the original is processed on the basis of the image processing conditions determined, and a final reproduced image is recorded on a photosensitive material on the basis of the processed image signal.
Recently an image signal obtained from an original is processed to insert characters into the reproduced image, to margin the reproduced image or to designate the size of the reproduced image. Conventionally such processing is directly carried out on the image signal obtained and the result of the processing cannot be known until the final reproduced image is recorded on a photosensitive material or the like. Therefore when the characters are in a wrong position in the recorded image, the margin is incorrect or the size of the recorded image is incorrect, processing of the image signal must be carried out again, which results in deterioration in working efficiency, and at the same time, the photosensitive material is wasted.
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an image reproducing method which can reproduce a composite image without wasting a photosensitive material and deteriorating the working efficiency.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of reproducing a composite image comprising the steps of photoelectrically reading out a color image recorded on an original at a first picture element intervals, thereby obtaining an image signal representing the color image, carrying out an image composing processing on the image signal under signal composing conditions determined on the basis of a desired image composition and reproducing the processed composite image signal as a visible image on a recording material, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of
obtaining a rough image signal representing the color image on the original at second picture element intervals larger than said first picture element intervals,
determining signal composing conditions on the basis of a desired image composition,
carrying out an image composing processing on the rough image signal under the determined signal composing conditions,
reproducing the processed composite rough image signal as a visible image on a display means,
correcting, if necessary, the signal composing conditions so that the visible image on the display means satisfies the desired image composition, and
carrying out an image composing processing under the corrected signal composing conditions on a fine image signal representing the color image on the original at said first picture element intervals.
The rough image signal may be obtained either by photoelectrically reading out the color image on the original at the second picture element intervals or by, for instance, thinning an image signal obtained by photoelectrically reading out the color image recorded at the first picture element intervals.
In this specification, the term xe2x80x9cdesired image compositionxe2x80x9d means, for instance, the kind of letter and/or position of the letter when characters are inserted into the image to be reproduced, whether the reproduced image is to be margined or not to be margined, the size of the reproduced image, the direction in which the reproduced image is to be rotated or the like.
In accordance with the present invention, whether or not the signal composing conditions determined on the basis of the desired image composition will actually satisfy the desired image composition, that is, whether an image recorded on a photosensitive material on the basis of the image signal processed under the signal composing conditions determined on the basis of the desired image composition will actually satisfy the requirement on the reproduced composite image can be checked on the display means and the signal composing conditions are corrected if necessary before the composite image is actually recorded on the photosensitive material. Accordingly, waste of photosensitive material and labor can be avoided, whereby the working efficiency can be improved.